The Rise of a King
by RandomWriter21
Summary: The Era of Old, a mostly forgotten era that predates that of the Sage of Six Paths. Artifacts of this era have been found, and stories have been made as a result, but some sound all too real. For Naruto, a simple walk in the woods would change his life, and the Elemental Nations forever. Was this bygone era really forgotten? /No Pairing /Notes in CH 1 /M for safety /Strong Naruto
1. Arc One: Ch 1

**AN:** This will be a future project once Akuma no Senshi is finished, that is, if this chapter receives good feedback. I used to play World of Warcraft, and found the Lich King to be a unique character. Since I like Naruto as well, I thought what the hell. Yes, I know there are other Lich King/Naruto stories on this site so if any of those authors' ideas ends up here, it is purely coincidental. I will, however, give credit where it is due if said authors ask.

This might become a crossover later, but for now it only has WoW elements mixed in. Also, I am doing away with the civilian and shinobi council. Why? It's becoming a very cliché idea, and it does not properly follow the anime/manga. So, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu will be the council in this story. You're welcome readers!

Final thing, if this story does take off it will be about the same length as Akuma no Senshi. So yes, there will be four arcs. Enjoy the first chapter!

**NOTE:** This story is massively AU, it will contain character death, and some cannon characters will be OC. Also, there will be no pairing. If you do not like these types of stories, than I kindly ask you to not read. Thank you.

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or World of Warcraft. All rights go to their respective owners, and I am not doing this for profitable gain.<p>

_ITALICS –_ thinking

**BOLD** – demon/Frostmourne speak, jutsu, or spell.

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><p><strong>Arc One: One Artifact, Many Changes<strong>

**Chapter One**

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><p>Before the Sage of Six Paths and the era of the Shinobi, a great evil plagued the land. Two factions, the Alliance and the Horde, fought a common enemy other than themselves; the Lich King. Once known to the Alliance as Arthas Menethil, the Lich King was a ruthless enemy who summoned his personal army called the Scourge. They were an undead horde of ghouls, zombies, banshees, among other vile creatures. For a long time, the Horde and Alliance fought to end the King's reign. That time finally came when he was defeated in the Icecrown Citadel, but a new Lich King had to be put on the throne so the Scourge could be controlled. Bolvar Fordragon was his name, a name that was soon lost to history.<p>

As years turned into millennium, the story of the Horde, Alliance, the battles they fought, as well as the Lich King, were soon lost and forgotten. Time and time again, someone would find a relic of that long lost era which would spark new stories, more like rumors, of the Era of Old. Eventually, the era of Shinobi would arise all thanks to Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. A man who singlehandedly defeated the Juubi and sealed it within himself, only to split the beast into nine parts called bijuu at the end of his life. Using his power, the Sage made the moon which was the place where the Juubi's husk was sealed for all eternity. Hagoromo had two sons which would later become the ancestors to the Senju and Uchiha clans; the ones who founded Konoha, the same exact place where our story begins.

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><p>A six year old boy with blonde spikey hair, dressed in blue shorts, a white short-sleeved shirt with a red spiral on the backside, and blue open-toed sandals, was currently bored. As the boy sat on his bed and looked out the window in the apartment that the Sandaime Hokage gave him, he couldn't help but think at his life so far. He always got these strange glares and the villagers seemed to steer clear of him. He was never physically abused, but mentally was a different story.<p>

This boy, was Naruto Uzumaki; jinchuriki to the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

Naruto did not understand this yet, so he always questioned the Hokage about why the villagers were like the way they were. Hiruzen simply told him that he would know the truth in time, and that he was deeply sorry about keeping this secret. Being only six years old, Naruto was very curious so he went to the library to try and see if he could find anything out. Sadly, nothing resulted, but he did read about some of the cool shinobi that Konoha has had over the years. The Yondaime being one of them, one he looked up to as a model. Ironic really, when the idol he so looked up to was his father. It was another secret the Sandaime kept from the boy.

Naruto sighed and got off his bed, then walked to the kitchen to grab an apple, a bottle of water, and his frog wallet. The six year old decided to explore the vast wilderness that surrounded Konoha. Was he worried? No, as the ANBU seemed to catch him within the hour. Naruto saw it as a game of sorts which he enjoyed immensely. Little did he know, was that today's adventure would change his life forever as well as the future of the Elemental Nations.

As Naruto headed to the gates, Hiruzen watched him in his crystal ball with a smile. That smile was erased, however, when he saw Izumo and Kotetsu sleeping on the job which made Naruto's escape way to easy. Quickly cutting the connection, the Sandaime signaled the hidden ANBU in the room.

"ANBU, Naruto has decided to go exploring again. If you would find and bring him back unharmed, please. Also, bring Izumo and Kotetsu to my office. I would like to have a…special chat with them."

Some of the ANBU flinched at the cold tone their Hokage used at the end. They all knew that a special chat meant that someone was going to be ripped a new one. The captain of the squad nodded, and responded with an emotionless tone.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. It will be done."

The team then vanished via shunshin, but before they could begin their search, the gate guards had to be dealt with first. It wasn't a minute later when an ANBU returned with the immortal Chuunin; both were sweating like pigs, and nervous as hell. The look Hiruzen gave them was pure evil.

Izumo chuckled nervously, "Hey, Hokage-sama. Nice weather we're having."

Screams of pain soon filled the Hokage's office.

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><p><strong>With Naruto<strong>

"Wow, this forest is amazing! Now, which why did I go before?" Naruto pondered aloud, then did Ini-Mini-Miny-Mo to choose where he went next.

His finger soon pointed towards the North West. With a smile, Naruto trekked in that direction.

"Ah, so that's the way I went."

Minutes turned into hours, and soon Naruto started to become scared as he couldn't find his way back like before. That, and the ANBU that usually caught him by now were nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, Naruto decided to take a break under a nearby tree. As he sat down, however, Naruto saw what looked like to be a blue ethereal glow fifty yards to his right. Again, being only six years old, things like this intrigued his simple little mind. As Naruto started to walk towards the glow, a voice suddenly spoke in his head; a voice that was deep and raspy.

"**Frostmourne hungers, come child."**

Naruto stopped in his tracks, and quickly looked around. His eyes wide with fear, but as much as he wanted to leave this place, something kept him walking towards the glow. As Naruto came closer, the air started to turn colder to the point where his breath could be seen. Again, the voice whispers.

"**That's it child, come to me!"**

Naruto seemed to be in a trance. His eyes were glazed over, he ignored the ever increasing cold, and the voice in the back of his head to run away from this place. The glowing object was now within arms' reach. Bending down, Naruto started to dig the object out with his hands which broke his fingernails causing them to bleed. He didn't even flinch at the pain, the trance still in place. Five minutes of digging later, Naruto found the source and gazed at its grim beauty.

The sword was 47 inches long with the widest part, the handle area, being 12 inches long; a tad bit big for Naruto's three foot five frame. The blade had glowing runes on it with its handle having a weird skull with what looked like horns on it; the eyeholes of which glowed blue like the sword.

"**Go on child, take what is rightfully yours, and gain the power you truly want.**" The voice whispered again.

Just as Naruto was to grasp the handle of the blade, the ANBU showed up and yelled to their target who seemed not to hear them.

"Naruto, step away from whatever that is." The captain said, but got no response; it worried him greatly. "Naruto? Are you even listening…Naruto?"

Still no response, and before they could even act, Naruto grasped the sword's handle which made the area flash a bright blue. The ANBU had to cover their eyes, but once the flash vanished and they could see again, they found Naruto encased in a thick block of ice.

The captain did not have to give out any orders. Everyone ran up to the ice block in the hopes of getting Naruto out. Amid their best efforts, they could not come close as the ice would defend itself by sending spikes their direction. They had no choice, they would have to wait until whatever was happening was done.

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><p><strong>Naruto's Mindscape<strong>

Naruto found himself in a frozen landscape where the wind was whipping and the snow was blowing; he hugged himself to keep warm. Just as he was about to explore the area, a new voice appeared behind him. The voice was part human and part demonic sounding. With hesitation, Naruto turned and came face to face with the scariest person he has seen in his entire life.

In front of Naruto was an almost seven foot tall man who wore strange armor with skulls on it. The helmet which he wore only showed part of his creepy smile and blue glowing eyes. The cape he wore fluttered in the harsh winds of the barren tundra.

Without hesitation, Naruto tried to run but he slipped on the frozen ground beneath him. As Naruto looked up, he saw the figure walking towards him which made him get in the fetal position. Naruto never felt so scared for his life.

"Take my hand my soon to be successor, you need not fear me." The figure said without emotion.

It took some time, but Naruto finally answered. His voice was small and weak sounding compared to the figure in front of him.

"Successor, what do you mean?"

"You have placed your hand upon my sword Frostmourne and thus became its new master in many millenniums. Come child, let me show you what your future entails and the home which you will soon reside."

Naruto at first didn't want to trust this man but deep inside, he felt like he was connected in a strange way. Getting up, he grasped the Lich King's outstretched hand which made the area flash white. When it cleared, Naruto was standing on the top of a tall citadel; a throne behind him. Before he could question what this place was, the figure spoke again in his usual tone.

"This is Icecrown Citadel, home to the Lich King, a place where you will soon lead armies to lay waste to civilizations. This throne behind you is where you will lead from, but one already takes your rightful place. Defeat him and this land will be yours."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Mister, I'm only six years old, I haven't started the academy yet."

The Lich King laughed, the sound of which made Naruto shiver in fear. Soon, though, the laughter stopped and the man began to explain.

"You are young, but Frostmourne will guide you. Soon, the armies of Scourge will rise once again to kill anything in their sight."

Naruto shivered from the cold, "But I don't want to kill, I want to become Hokage!"

The Lich King shook his head while a sick smirk appeared on his face.

"Such a naive child you are; secrets have been hidden from you, secrets that should have been yours from the start."

"What do you mean?"

The Lich King grinned again and placed his armored hand on Naruto's head which transferred some of his power into the boy. Naruto was covered in a blue aura, an aura that was cold, and very painful. As the boy writhed and screamed in pain, the Lich King watched with morbid curiosity.

"Your path starts now, young child. You might be able to resist the temptations for now, but in time the hunger will consume you. We will be meeting again, I assure you. I look forward to seeing your ascent to power…Naruto Uzumaki. A great king you will become."

With that, the area Naruto was in seemed to shatter, and vanish before his very eyes. The throbs of pain still ran through his body, but amid this, there was something else. It was dark, but had an almost comforting feeling. This anomaly only lasted for a brief moment which made Naruto curious, but for one such beast, it put fear into his heart.

"**My time on this plane of existence, all my brothers and sisters time in fact, are soon coming to an end. To think that the legends were true."**

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><p><strong>Back in the Forest<strong>

The ANBU were suddenly on alert as the icy tomb started to crack and shake. It has been almost two hours since they arrived, and they wondered what was happening to Naruto inside. All they could see was a black mass that was the shape of the boy. The sound of glass shattering shifted their attention to the tomb, then on the unconscious Naruto who was holding Frostmourne tightly within his grasp.

What took the ANBU by surprise was that they boy's signature spikey hair was now almost flat, and middle back length. It was still blonde, but they could tell it had gotten a shade lighter. Another thing was his height; he was now four feet tall. The last thing that caught their interest was the sword. For one, it was glowing an ethereal blue, and two, it seemed to give off an unholy aura. Nobody, not even the captain, dared to touch the weapon as they feared what it might due to them. That, and it seemed like the blade chose Naruto. But for what reason?

"Captain, what do we do about the sword, I know nobody wants to touch it?" An ANBU asked curiously.

"We do nothing, but be careful when transporting Naruto to the Hokage Office. I don't want to know what will happen if that sword touches someone other than Uzumaki-san."

One of the ANBU decided to joke about the blade. "Heh, yah, for all we know it could suck out our souls or something."

The entire ANBU squad laughed, but they didn't know how close to the truth they actually were.

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><p><strong>Hokage Office<strong>

Hiruzen was a nervous wreck; it has been six hours since Naruto left the village. It was far longer than any other time before. As he sat at his desk, he contemplated on whether keeping his heritage and Kyuubi a secret from Naruto was a good idea. As he thought about this, Hiruzen looked at Minato's picture on the wall. This picture suddenly fell off, and hit the floor which made the glass in the frame shatter.

"I hate omens." The Sandaime muttered to himself then got up to put the picture back in place.

Just as he got up, however, the ANBU team suddenly returned. As Naruto was set on the couch, he noticed the sword the boy was tightly holding. Like the ANBU, Hiruzen did not like the aura the blade gave off…it reeked of death. Another thing he noticed was the changes Naruto underwent. With a stern tone, the Hokage spoke.

"I want a report, and leave nothing out."

It took ten minutes, but the report was given. The Sandaime was nervously puffing on his pipe as he dismissed the ANBU. Somehow, the fact that ice appeared when Naruto touched this sword sparked a memory deep within him. It was a story that his sensei, Hashirama Senju, had told to him many times before. An era of old, where violence was daily life, and powerful beings reigned; some rumored to be stronger than the Sage of Six Paths. This is what made Hiruzen so nervous.

"If Naruto did in fact find what I think he did, then Kami help us all." He muttered out loud.

Just as he was about to go to his personal library to see if he could find any information on the blade Naruto held, said boy groaned and woke up. Hiruzen held his breath as he waited to see if his mentality changed any.

"Ji-Ji? Why do you look nervous?"

The Sandaime let out a sigh of relief, then walked up to Naruto and hugged him. Of course, he was careful not to touch the sword, a sword which Naruto soon looked at. A voice whispered in his head, which he proceeded to say out loud.

"Frostmourne…your name will be Frostmourne."

Hiruzen played that name in his head over and over again, and his fear came back in full force. He had to start his research as soon as possible. There had to be a way to reverse this process. Naruto's worried voice snapped the elder Sarutobi out of his thoughts.

"Ji-Ji?"

The Hokage cleared his throat and smiled, "I'm fine, Naruto. That is a nice sword you got there." The boy nodded. "And I guess you want to learn how to use it, huh?" Another nod which made the Kage chuckle softly. "Well then, since you will be starting the academy soon I guess I will assign a person as your personal sensei."

Naruto's eyes widened and he started to do a happy dance. "Yes! Thank you Ji-Ji, thank you!"

Hiruzen decided to add icing on the cake. "And if your sensei tells me you are progressing nicely, I will tell you about who your parents are and why the villagers glare at you. Does that sound good?"

Naruto stopped his happy dance, and glared at the Hokage. A blue aura seemed to whisp from the boy's eyes. Hiruzen knew that this wasn't Naruto, but something else, something more sinister. But as quickly as it came, it vanished which left Naruto in a confused state.

"Ji-Ji, what happened?"

"You don't remember?" The Sandaime asked in which Naruto shook his head with a frown.

"_Hmm…it seems something is influencing the boy. Could it be this Frostmourne? And why does that name sound so familiar to me, dammit!" _

"Let's get some ramen before we find you a sheath for that sword of yours, OK?"

Naruto's confused state quickly left, and he literally dragged the Hokage out of his office. As this was happening, Hiruzen looked at the Yondaime's picture again and swore that he saw a frown appear on Minato's face. If he stayed any longer, the Sandaime would have noticed the corners of the photo had started to ice over.

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><p><strong>Following Day – Naruto's Apartment<strong>

Naruto tossed and turned in bed as nightmares plagued his sleep. Grotesque creatures in a barren tundra, the same one he was in with the Lich King. Creatures that he raised from the dead, creatures that he used to lay waste to anything in his path. There was something called the Horde and the Alliance, each with their own race. But before his nightmares could continue, Naruto suddenly woke up, and quickly headed to the bathroom. As he looked in the mirror, he gasped at what he saw.

His skin was now a lighter color, almost pale like that of a corpse, and his eyes started to take on a green hue. Thinking it was an illusion, Naruto turned on the faucet, and splashed water on his face. He looked again, and the same image appeared.

"What is going on with me?"

The voice he heard in the forest whispered to him again. "**Only the beginning, it is. The hunger will intensify…you will submit!"**

"Froustmourne?" Naruto questioned aloud, but got no response back.

With a shrug of the shoulders, Naruto went back to his bedroom to get a change of clothes before he got in the shower. As he did, he looked at Frostmourne which leaned against the footboard of the bed. Although it was in its sheath, he could feel it pulsing, wanting to be held, wanting to be fed?

"Feed? On what?" Naruto mumbled then put those thoughts aside.

He knew that his sensei would be coming today, so he wanted to be ready.

As he showered, Hiruzen was in his personal library trying to find the oldest books or scrolls he had. Any that he found was quickly pulled, and put in a pile to read. Was the Hokage paranoid? Quite possible, but he did not achieve the monikers God of Shinobi and Professor for nothing. He would get to the bottom of what was happening with his surrogate grandson, and somehow he knew that there wasn't much time.

Naruto was now eating breakfast, and no it wasn't ramen. He actually was enjoying scrambled eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice. If there is one thing about the Hokage that Naruto was thankful for, it was the lessons on how to cook. Just as he was finishing up, a knock was heard at the door. Naruto got up, and headed that way to let the person in, but he picked up Frostmourne on the way. It was a subconscious thing, really; Naruto seemed to feel incomplete without it.

Naruto opened the door to find himself looking at a beautiful, purple haired woman.

"Hello Naruto, I am Yugao Uzuki, and I will be your personal kenjutsu sensei." She introduced with a soft, yet stern tone.

Naruto squinted his eyes as the voice sounded familiar, but once he saw the purple hair it clicked.

"Cat-san!" He shouted which made the ANBU agent slightly nervous.

"Naruto…not too loud, my codename is supposed to be secret."

Said person scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, Uzuki-sensei."

Yugao smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair, then looked at the sword which sent shivers down her spine.

"Nice sword, gaki. Ready to learn how to use it properly?"

Naruto nodded, "Its name is Frostmourne."

Yugao was surprised, "You named your sword already?"

"It spoke to me in the Hokage's office…cool name, huh!"

The ANBU blinked in shock, "_A sentient…very rare, but the design of the sword is quite odd. It's almost like those from the stories I've heard about the Era of Old."_ She paused in thought briefly. "_Nah, it couldn't be…could it?"_

Naruto's voice broke her thoughts, "You can come in if you want."

As Naruto went back into the dining room to put his plate in the sink, Yugao walked inside and instantly started to shiver. It was damn cold in here, but how could that be when it was reaching almost 90 degrees outside? It wasn't long until Naruto came back into the main room, ready for his training for the day.

"Why is it so cold in here, Naruto?"

Said person gave her a confused look, "Cold? I feel warm, Uzuki-san. Are you alright?"

"Yah…just peachy." She mumbled, then put a hand on Naruto.

With a shunshin, both arrived at their designated training ground. It was a private one the Hokage set up for them. As the shunshin ended, Naruto wobbled about as he was disoriented; it made Yugao giggle a little. Once Naruto got his bearings, the lesson began.

"Now, before we can begin to spar, we must find out which style suits you best, as well as learning the basics. Basics meaning lots of exercise, how to properly hold a sword, and how to get in a proper attack or defending stance. Those last three will be based on which style suits you best. Questions?"

"How do we find my style, the library?" Naruto questioned which made the ANBU shake her head with a smirk.

"A good answer, but partly right. I will start you off with some basic katas which every kenjutsu user should know. From there, I will determine the right style for you."

Naruto smiled, then brought up another question. "What about jutsu, and those awesome shinobi tricks?"

"That too, Naruto. I will be your sensei until you graduate from the Academy so we have plenty of time."

As Naruto started to do a happy dance, Yugao giggled internally. It was going to be an interesting six years.

"Alright Naruto, that's enough dancing…even though it is very amusing." Her tone turned serious. "I warn you now Naruto, that my training will be very intense and I expect almost absolute perfection when it comes to kenjutsu. You will go home beat up and tired every day, and you might grow to hate me, but just remember that what I am doing will benefit you in the long run."

Naruto nodded, and determination filled his eyes. Seeing that he was ready, Yugao had Naruto start off with 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, crunches, and many other exercises. Once those were done, she had Naruto run laps around the training ground until she said stop. After this was working on the basics of kenjutsu. By the end of the day, Naruto would go home tired, but for Yugao she would have a hard time figuring out what style would best suit her student.

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><p><strong>Hokage's Personal Library <strong>

While shadow clones did the paperwork for the day, Hiruzen was reading about the Era of Old from the many scrolls and books Hashirama and Tobirama collected during their lifetime. Although most of what he read could be rumor, some were so detailed that they just had to be real. From what he read, there was two factions that almost constantly fought each other; the Horde and the Alliance. From these readings, Hiruzen deduced that this world was much bigger than originally thought, and there could still be factions of Horde or Alliance left in existence. The Sandaime gave this a very slim possibility because the Era of Old was millennia ago. What he also found out is that ruins of certain areas of the Era of Old could be under their feet. It only made sense with the many artifacts found around the Elemental Nation.

What puzzled Hiruzen was that there was bits and pieces of history that said that a frozen tundra laid to the far north, a place where the mighty king dwelled; a place called Northrend. The Sandaime instantly thought of Snow Country. Only a small part of that country was explored, and many said that land goes for as long as the eye could see. What irked Hiruzen, however, was how scant the documents were on Northrend. It was almost like someone wanted to cover up something terrible. But what could be so terrible that it needed to not be mentioned?

The elder Sarutobi sighed, and rubbed his palms into his temples.

"One dead end leads to another." He said to himself, which caught Asuma's attention as he just came in.

"Hey pops, not to intrude, but you've been sitting at the desk for hours. What's got you so paranoid?"

"Naruto's new sword…Frostmourne. I know I heard that name from somewhere, but I cannot remember for the life of me."

Asuma smirked, "Well, you are getting up there in age."

Hiruzen cracked a smile, "Hardy, har, har, son."

"Maybe a drink at the bar will help that old memory of yours, what do you say?"

The Hokage got up and patted his son on the back, "I think that would do my mind some good.

As they left the Hokage Library, a strange wind suddenly blew through the pile of scrolls and open books on the desk Hiruzen was recently at. As scrolls and pages fluttered, one book happened to stop its page turning to reveal a sketch of two things; the helmet of the feared Lich King and his sword, Frostmourne.

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><p><strong>Back With Naruto<strong>

It was now break time for Naruto. He was all alone in the training ground as Yugao had to get some materials from a jack-of-all trade store. Although he was supposed to rest, Naruto was curious about his chakra and remembered reading a book in the library about meditation and how it helped calm and regulate the chakra in one's system. As he got into the meditation stance and closed his eyes, his hand subconsciously rested on Frostmourne.

As he meditated, the Lich King grinned from the boy's mindscape. It was time to start awakening his powers. Frostmourne started to glow, and the ghostly aura that surrounded it soon surrounded Naruto as well. There was no pain involved, it was a slow process, one that would take about a year. But by the end of it, the chakra in Naruto's system would cease to exist; only runic power would remain.

The ground grew cold underneath Naruto, as did the atmosphere. It was so cold, in fact, that it started to snow; an oddity in Konoha. Deeper and deeper did Naruto fall into his mediation, so deep in fact that he did not feel the intense cold that surrounded him. A bird tried to land on Naruto's shoulder, but once it landed, it instantly died; the corpse falling on Frostmourne. In a small pulse, the soul was snatched up, and the hunger was satiated for now. This was when Naruto's eyes suddenly snapped open.

As he took deep breaths, he noticed the frozen ground beneath his feet, and the snow that accumulated on his person. Confused wouldn't even begin to describe how Naruto felt.

"_What is going on with me?"_ He glanced at Frostmourne. "_No, that couldn't be right…was the Lich King a dream or real?"_

Inside Naruto's mindscape, the Lich King smirked evilly. He was the one suppressing the boys' memories of meeting him, and of the episodes of where his power would leak out. In a way, the Lich King saw this as a way of controlling the boy from the inside out, a way of ensuring that his legacy lived on, and that the Era of Old would rise once again.


	2. Arc One: Ch 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or WoW. All rights go to their respective owners, and I am not doing this for monetary gain.

_ITALICS_ – thinking

**BOLD** – Frostmourne/demon speak, spell, or jutsu.

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><p><strong>Arc One: One Artifact, Many Changes<strong>

**Chapter Two**

* * *

><p>Naruto's first day of training had ended, and boy was he beat. Although Yugao was pretty harsh while training, Naruto smiled knowing it would all work out in the end. However, what baffled him was the sword he acquired. Every time he thought about what he saw yesterday as he touched Frostmourne, there was a fuzziness. Almost like the memory was there, but wasn't there. It honestly irritated Naruto, but he knew he had better things to do. As he stumbled into his apartment, he placed Frostmourne by the foot of the bed, then proceeded to the bathroom to take a shower. As he stripped off his clothes, he turned on the water…all the way to cold. Naruto stepped in the shower once his clothes were off and sighed, the cold not even affecting him.<p>

Here, in the shower, Naruto let his mind wander to the nightmares he has had. They were almost like past memories, they were very detailed, vivid, and almost like a movie was being played before his very eyes. Again, Naruto sighed at the memories, and soon began to wash himself. It frightened him, the changes he was undergoing that is.

"_What am I becoming, and why do I feel…dark, evil, angry? I'm cheerful, want to make friends, I don't want to kill."_ Naruto suddenly gasped as a memory came to him. "_Hunger…Lich King…it was all real!"_

The Uzumaki suddenly bolted out of the shower, and quickly dried himself off. Before he went to his room to change, he shut off the shower. Once changed, he grasped Frostmourne and started to talk to it.

"I know you're the one whispering to me…c'mon, say something!"

At first nothing happened, but then the sword started to glow. The aura soon wrapped itself around Naruto and transplanted the Lich King's sword style into his memory. The process only took a minute, but by the end, Naruto was passed out on the wooden floor of his apartment. An occasional twitch showed that the boy was still alive. Through it all, Frostmourne was still grasped in Naruto's hands.

* * *

><p><strong>Following Morning<strong>

Naruto woke to the sound of someone frantically banging at his door. With a groan, he got up and stumbled towards it, but before he could open the door, it was suddenly kicked off its hinges. There Yugao stood, but when she laid eyes on Naruto, an audible gasp was heard.

"Dear Kami…what happened to you, Naruto?!"

The Uzumaki simply raised an eyebrow, not realizing he still held Frostmourne. The ANBU quickly escorted Naruto to the bathroom and had him look in the mirror. It was here, the boy gasped at his features.

Dark circles were under his eyes, his skin looked a little paler, and his hair was almost a completely grayish/white color. A very odd hair color for a six year old. And that wasn't all, his eyes, dear Kami, those eyes. They were a mix of blue, and emerald green, but they were no longer bright. They were cold, lifeless, and just looking into them made Naruto wonder if he saw his own soul. For the first time in many months, Naruto broke down and cried; Frostmourne clattered to the floor as he suddenly lost his grip.

Yugao quickly comforted the poor child the best she could. As she coddled Naruto, she looked at the sword on the bathroom floor. It had to be the cause of all these changes, but how? A sentient sword had a soul, yes, but to physically change its wielder was unheard of.

"_The Hokage needs to know about this development. I wonder if he found anything in his research."_

It would be almost an hour later when the two emerged from the apartment. Even though the changes frightened him, Naruto still wanted to train. However, before they left for the training ground, he asked for a new set of clothes. With a shrug, Yugao escorted Naruto to the nearest clothing store so that he could pick out what he wanted. As they entered the store, the clerk at the front counter glared at Naruto, but to the surprise of Yugao and him, Naruto glared back. But it was no simple glare, no, this glare had a certain unholy aura to it. The clerk swore he saw his own death.

"Go on Naruto, pick out what you want." Yugao said politely.

The boy simply did as told, and perused what the store had to offer. The clerk and Yugao took one look at each other, both had confusion and slight fear in their eyes. For the ANBU, however, she knew these changes were not good. She also knew the consequences of the villagers hate if these changes continued. She watched for thirty minutes as Naruto picked out various articles of clothing, then went into the changing room to try them on. When he came out, they became interested at his choice of colors.

Naruto now wore black ANBU pants which had a red stripe down the outer-sides, a dark blue V-neck shirt overtop some lightweight mesh armor, black fingerless gloves, and what looked to be black combat boots. To top this off, Naruto wore a light grey cloak with a hood; the zipper in the front was open to show Frostmourne attached to his right side. As Naruto pulled the hood over his middle back length hair, his eyes gave off an eerie glow. Both Yugao and the clerk knew that no kid his age should have eyes like that; it was unnatural.

"Interesting choice of clothing, Naruto." Yugao suddenly spoke with a smile. "And don't worry, I will pay for it."

"Thank you, Uzuki-sensei." Naruto replied in a tired tone.

Once she paid, she grabbed Naruto and shushined to their training ground. Once there, Yugao drew her katana and motioned for Naruto to do the same.

"We went over this yesterday, but let's see how much you retained, OK?"

Naruto nodded, and slowly unsheathed Frostmourne then placed it in front of him like he remembered from last night. **(1) **Seeing this strange stance, Yugao was confused.

"Um, Naruto, you do know that is the wrong stance right?"

"Frostmourne has guided me."

This simple response made Yugao even more confused. "_The Hokage definitely needs to hear about this. It seems things are happening at a far quicker pace than we first thought."_

With a shrug, Yugao waited for Naruto to make the first move. At first, nothing happened, but Naruto jogged up to her and attempted an upward slash just like in the memories he was given. Of course, Yugao wasn't an ANBU for nothing, so she parried it easily then sent the blade towards Naruto's neck. Again, using the memories, Naruto blocked the blade, and shoved it aside before going on the offensive. For five minutes, it was like this; a huge back and forth. Through it all, Yugao was impressed.

"_Whatever that sword did, it made Naruto a beginner almost overnight."_

As both jumped back to gain a breather, Naruto suddenly stiffened. The same strange blue aura was now coming out of Naruto's eyes, and, in a robot like fashion, he raised his left hand. What happened next would take the ANBU completely off guard.

"**Death Coil!**"

The minute Naruto uttered those words, a green blast of unholy energy was sent towards Yugao. Luckily for her, she managed to dodge out of the way, but as for the trees that were behind her? They looked like they aged over 100 years in a matter of seconds. It was at this time, that Naruto woke from his trance.

"Ugh. Where am I?" Naruto said as he rubbed his temples, then looked at the trees and a shocked Yugao. "Sensei, what happened, are you OK?"

"You don't remember shooting that attack at me?"

Naruto shook his head, "The last thing I remember is sparring with you."

The ANBU sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look, I don't know what you did, but the Hokage needs to know about this, OK?" A nod from Naruto made her continue. "Just work on your exercises and katas while I am gone."

After she left in a shunshin, Naruto started on his katas, still confused on what happened.

"**You cannot resist forever…Frostmourne still hungers!"**

This made Naruto pause, but he shrugged it off, and continued to train.

* * *

><p><strong>Hokage Office<strong>

Again, shadow clones were doing the paperwork while Hiruzen looked over the old manuscripts. To his right, a book was open to two pages; one that showed Frostmourne and the Lich King's helmet. In front of him was a well-aged scroll which had mold, and was almost unreadable due to deterioration. The language on it was strange, but it almost looked like their own. For the past many hours, the Hokage has been deciphering the secrets the scroll held. He hoped it held the answers to his questions.

Yugao announced herself with a shunshin which broke Hiruzen from his work. With a smile, he greeted her.

"Ah, Uzuki-san, how is Naruto's progress going?"

She shook her head, and spoke in a professional tone. "Naruto is progressing just fine, but it seems that the changes are still happening as well as the memory loss every time he uses that strange power."

Yugao then explained, in detail, everything that happened since this morning. By the end of it, Hiruzen hummed in thought, then motioned Yugao to look at what he deciphered so far.

"Hokage-sama, what is this? Is this from the Era of Old?"

"Hai, and what I have deciphered so far is very troubling…if it's true that is. Apparently there was this Lich King that inhabited Northrend, and the two factions, Horde and Alliance, came together and defeated him about a millennia ago. But, that is not the most troubling thing. Go on, read what I recently deciphered before you came in."

Yugao did just that, but by the end of it she grew concerned.

"_The Lich King was a very powerful being that had almost limitless power, and untold potential. The Scourge was his army, an army of death, which marched across the lands killing anything in their path."_

She looked at Hiruzen with wide eyes, "And you think this sword that Naruto has will change him into this…this monster?"

The Hokage simply nodded his head, "Hai, and if what I have deciphered so far is true, then we cannot let that come to pass. Yugao, I am assigning you a mission, S-rank and off the books; do you understand?"

"What is my mission, Hokage-sama?" Her tone was professional again.

"You are to keep training Naruto, but while doing so you must monitor him at all times. Yes, even as he sleeps. If he shows more signs of turning into this Lich King, please notify me. If he starts to get too strong…sabotage his skills as much as you can."

Yugao was going to protest, but the words she read kept appearing over and over again. With a bow, she accepted her mission. However, she had one final question.

"Hokage-sama, if he gets to strong, and catches onto me, what will you do?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes, and a grim smile came to his face, "You need not worry, Uzuki-san, I am already having that handled. Dismissed."

After she left, the Sandaime went back to deciphering the scroll. He would work uninterrupted for another hour, but in that time some startling revelations started to appear on who this Lich King was. After the hour was up, a knock on the door was heard. The man who entered was Danzo, a member of the council. The two elders smiled at each other, but it was Hiruzen who spoke.

"Ah, just the man I wanted to see. Please sit, Danzo, we have much to discuss."

* * *

><p><strong>One Week Later<strong>

Naruto's training was progressing well, and he has not had an episode, as Yugao called them, since they first sparred. Naruto now had a good handle on kenjutsu, and was starting to learn taijutsu among other things important in the Shinobi world. What baffled Yugao, Naruto, and Hiashi Hyuga was what took place two days ago when Naruto tried to unlock his chakra.

As he sat in the meditation position, and used the ram sign to focus, Naruto tried to pull out his chakra. Yugao watched this with a smile, but, after 10 minutes of nothing happening, she grew concerned as many people already found their chakra source by now. Although Naruto was bummed, he was told to try again. Once nothing happened for the second time, Hiashi was called in to see what the problem was; the results were shocking.

Naruto had a chakra system, two in fact thanks to the Kyuubi, but his main one was somehow eroding and turning into something else. Usually if a chakra network eroded, the person would suffer chakra poisoning and die. Another thing that shocked Hiashi was that the Kyuubi was simply not active in the boy at all. It was asleep, the chakra was dormant, and its network untouched. All of this was told to the Hokage before Naruto was informed of his chakra problem; the Kyuubi stayed a secret for now.

Needless to say, Naruto was devastated that he could never learn any ninja skills, but Hiruzen assured him that his skills in kenjutsu and taijutsu would be sufficient. A day after this, word somehow got around about Naruto's condition. As a result, the villagers ignored him even more which furthered Naruto's depressed state. It was something the Lich King was pleased about, but knew that letting his protégé have another episode was out of the question for a while. His runic power needed to develop fully first.

* * *

><p>Currently, Naruto was walking to the academy in the clothes he picked out a week ago; the hood was up so others didn't see his face. The cheerful boy the Hokage knew was almost gone, in its place was an indifferent six year old child. The villagers helped start this transformation, but it was Frostmourne and the Lich King who capitalized on it. For now, the Lich King would back off and let Naruto be Naruto. However, if a situation presented itself to where it could be used to further Naruto's descent into darkness…let's just say the Lich King had that evil smirk on his face.<p>

Naruto slowly walked into the Academy building and up to the correct room. As he walked, the staff gave him the usual look, and quickly walked away from him. For the students in the hallway, Naruto heard the whispers of various derogatory terms. Freak, monster, orphan, were just some of those he heard. Soon enough, Naruto stood at the door to the classroom; he was early as he would usually be training. Yugao's training would now be pushed back until the academy let out for the day. He wiped the tears from his eyes before he opened the door.

"_I guess I will be alone forever…I wish I had parents, I wish someone would be my friend. Is that too much to ask?"_

Was Naruto's thoughts as he walked into the classroom. Before he could take a seat, however, the teacher with a scar across his nose stopped him. His gaze was stern as he pointed to Frostmourne.

"No weapons in class, boy. Go home and leave it there, or keep it with me until the day ends. Your choice?"

Naruto sighed and reached into his pants pocket to grab the scroll Ji-Ji gave him. This scroll was then handed to the teacher. One it was read over, the chuunin sighed.

"Very well, but keep it in its sheath. My name is Iruka Umino by the way. What's yours?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

The almost dead tone took Iruka off guard for a bit, but he soon recovered with a smile.

"Well, you are the first to arrive so you are free to pick a seat. It will be a pleasure to teach you."

Naruto walked all the way to the back of the room, and sat down closest to the window. Once he was comfortable, he called to Iruka.

"You don't hate me, why?"

Iruka looked at the student with sad eyes, "Because, I was an orphan like you. I know the pain you are feeling, the names you get called. Not everyone out there hates you Naruto, they are simply misunderstood. Just give everyone a chance, OK?"

Naruto nodded, the tone a little more cheerful. "I will try."

It was another five minutes before other students started filing in. Thanks to spending some time reading in the library, and wandering the streets, Naruto knew a few faces that belonged to prominent clans. The only ones he recognized was Shikamaru Nara, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Hyuga. All four gave Naruto strange glances, hell, all the students that were coming in gave him strange glances. The civilian students were the ones who decided to speak their mind and call Naruto names. The clan children were more behaved, and kept the thoughts to themselves.

At some point, Shikamaru decided to get up from where he was sitting, and sat next to Naruto in the hopes of starting some small talk.

"I'm Shikamaru, what's yours?"

Naruto looked at the Nara for a bit before answering. "Naruto. Why did you sit by me?"

The Nara shrugged, "Sitting by yourself is troublesome." And after a small pause. "I don't see why everyone hates you."

Naruto decided to tell what he thought was the truth, "I have no chakra; I am a freak."

Shikamaru shook his head, "No, you're just troublesome. You have fists, and that cool looking sword. Father told me some of the best Shinobi he fought had no chakra."

"Really?" Naruto responded back with a smirk. "Were they…troublesome to beat?"

The two shared a laugh, but what the Nara said next made Naruto's day.

"Naruto, you are troublesome, but alright." Shika stuck out his left hand. "Friends?"

Naruto happily shook his hand, "Friends."

Shortly after this, the class started. The topic for today was the history of the Elemental Nations. As Iruka continued to lecture, he took glances at Naruto and Shikamaru to find they were sleeping. The chuunin internally chuckled and let the two be. They were only kids after all.

As Naruto slept, he dreamed of a man called Arthas Menethil. It started with his childhood, it showed the training he underwent, and the hardships he had as a young adult. Through these hardships, he became a renowned, and respected warrior. As Arthas' life continued to play, Naruto saw him undergoing a slow corruption which only quickened when he found Frostmourne. The second Arthas laid his hands on the handle of the cursed blade, a flash of blue was seen, and Naruto woke up with a gasp.

The class paid no mind to Naruto, though some were looking at him with a glare. Iruka, however, looked worried as he saw Naruto's eyes emitting a smoky blue aura. This aura faded as quickly as it came.

"Uzumaki-san, are you alright?"

Naruto looked at Iruka with a small smile, "Hai, just a nightmare."

The chuunin's worries vanished, and he returned the smile. "Alright, but please try to not fall asleep again; you missed half the lecture."

"I go to the library, Iruka-Sensei, I will be fine."

"Good, now would you mind waking your companion up?"

Naruto shrugged, then poked the Nara in the side. After a groan, Shikamaru sat up, looked at Naruto, then the stern look on Iruka's face.

"Troublesome."

Is all he said before resting his head on the desk again, but this time he was awake.

Many hours later, which seemed like an eternity for Naruto and Shikamaru, the academy finally let out for the day. As Naruto was going to find Yugao so they could start training, the Nara stopped him to ask a question.

"Naruto, how about a game of shogi at my place later?"

This made said boy nervous as he didn't know how Shika's parents would react to him, but there was a first try for everything.

"Sure, but after I'm done training for the day."

Shikamaru smiled, and quickly wrote down his address before handing it to Naruto. "There you go, just tell them Shikamaru sent you."

As the Nara lazily walked away, Yugao appeared beside Naruto with a smile.

"Looks like you finally made a friend, Naruto."

Said person frowned. "Not for long, I meet his parents after training."

The ANBU sighed internally at this, "I'm sure the Nara will understand. C'mon, let's put your worries away with some training."

Naruto smiled again, and as she was about to shunishin them, he said one thing which made Yugao have second thoughts on her mission.

"I trust you the most Uzuki-sensei, besides Ji-Ji, you were the first to not hate me. I have four now that I can look up too."

"Who's the other?"

"Iruka-Sensei, he was an orphan like me! Maybe we can get ramen together someday!"

As Yugao shunshined them to the training ground, she only could think on one thing.

"_Hokage-sama, whatever else you're planning better not result in this boy's harm…oh so help me Kami!"_

Meanwhile in the Hokage office, Hiruzen just finished translating the scroll he was working on a week ago. Although some parts were missing, there was enough there to make Hiruzen scared. And as the saying goes, fear makes people do stupid things.

* * *

><p><strong>Time Skip – Six Months<strong>

Arthas looked at Lordaeron from a distance, he was finally back home. With a slow, but proud gait, the warrior continued towards his home city. It would be a couple hours until he entered, but when he did everyone rejoiced at his return. Arthas did not heed these simple people, no, he was after something else.

It wasn't that long of a trek to the throne room, but once there, he pushed open the doors and kneeled in the center of the room; before his father.

"Ah, my son, you have finally returned." The king of Lordaeron said with his usual deep, aristocratic tone.

"You no longer need to sacrifice for your people." Arthas whispered to where the king could barely hear him. "You no longer need to bear the weight of your crown. I have taken care of everything."

With that, Arthas quickly stood and walked towards his confused father at a fast pace.

"W-what is this…what are you doing?"

In a sinister tone, Arthas replied. "Succeeding you, father!"

And with that, Frostmourne was plunged into the King's heart; his soul absorbed, his cold, lifeless body slumped to the hard ground.

* * *

><p>Naruto woke with a gasp, and a cold sweat. These dreams, these past memories, were starting to mix with Naruto's own. It started to make him wonder who he truly was. Was he Naruto Uzumaki, or was he Arthas Menethil, the Lich King? With a sigh, he got out of bed, and took one look at Frostmourne before heading to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. While he made scrambled eggs, he thought about when he went to the Nara clan home and what he has learned these past six months.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback - Six Months Ago<strong>

The guards at the compound refused him entry regardless if he was given permission. Naruto's anger was rising, and so was his patience. He grasped Frostmourne, and was about to give into the hunger when a familiar voice made him stop.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru said with a raised eyebrow. "Why haven't you been let in yet?"

The Uzumaki simply pointed to the guards who started to sweat.

The Nara sighed, "My father will hear about this, let my friend in please."

The guards did as told, and knew that they would soon be without a job. As they watched Naruto walk beside Shikamaru, they couldn't help but shiver at the unholy aura the kid gave off when he was angry.

As Naruto was led inside Shika's home, he became nervous. Even more so when he found Shikaku staring right at him. All that vanished, when the clan head spoke in a kind tone.

"Well aren't you troublesome looking!" After hearing no response, the clan head sighed, and spoke in a sympathetic tone. "I won't bite Naruto, you have nothing to fear in this home. All of us understand what you have gone through."

Naruto let out a hesitant smile, as well as a "Thank you."

"So, care for a drink?"

Shikamaru answered for the both of them, "Tea is fine father."

Shikaku nodded and went back to the kitchen to prepare. Meanwhile, Naruto began to feel an ache inside his heart. As the tears started to come out, Shikamaru noticed and began to feel bad.

"My family is yours, Naruto. We can be troublesome together."

Naruto let out a small laugh, and dried his tears. "Can we play shogi now?"

"Troublesome. I will get the board."

Now that Naruto was all alone, he looked towards the family room to see family portraits on the wall. With a sigh, he walked over, grabbed one off the wall and sat on the nearby couch to look at it. Everyone was so happy.

"_I hope to know who my parents are someday. Why can't Ji-Ji just tell me now?" _

It was here, that Yoshino Nara found Naruto. Like everyone else in the household, she felt bad for the boy. Shikaku and her knew who his parents were, but knew it wasn't their place to tell. With a sigh, she sat beside Naruto and tried to make him feel better.

"You want to feel what a family is like, right?" Naruto nodded with a frown. "It isn't right, the hate you get. People are just misunderstood. Cheer up boy, 'cause if at any time you need to talk, this household is open for business."

Hearing no response, Yoshino hugged Naruto which made him jump a little. He never felt a feeling like this before. It was warm, made all the worries go away; it was pure bliss.

"_Is this what a mother's touch feels like?"_

Naruto relaxed and let the feeling overcome him. Without him knowing, today helped keep the hunger at bay, and it will do so for a very long time. The Lich King wasn't happy, it was a setback, a big one, but it had time; the boy was only six years old after all.

Shika, and Shikamaru came into the family room at the same time to see this. With smiles on their faces, both put what they had in their hands aside, and joined in for a family hug.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

The smell of something burning brought Naruto out of his memories. He cursed as his eggs were now burnt. Not wanting to waste food, however, the boy dumped the eggs onto a plate then grabbed a fork from the nearby drawer. He set this on the table, then went back to get OJ from the fridge. As he poured himself a glass, he smiled at the warmth that hug gave, and also at how much he has learned.

Although he and Shika slept at the academy, both were seen at the library reading together, and on pretty advanced subjects for six year olds. Little did Naruto know, was that the Lich King was slowly improving this aspect. Shika brought this up with his father, and they had Naruto conduct an IQ test. The results confirmed their suspicions. Naruto had an IQ of 160; he was labeled a genius. When asked what Shikamaru's IQ was, Naruto got the answer of 200 which made him pout.

The academy was more focused on history right now, but it did start to get into chakra control, academy taijutsu, and the basic three jutsu which everyone had to know. It also started to get into kunai and shuriken throwing, it was something Naruto enjoyed the most. Iruka knew of Naruto's problem, so when the time came for graduation, he would be tested on his taijutsu and kenjutsu. If the instructor saw both as proficient, then he would be awarded a headband; an official shinobi of Konoha.

On his other skills, his kenjutsu was coming along nicely as was his taijutsu. Both stemmed off of the memories he gained from the previous Lich King. Were they the same? No, they were simply modified to fit Naruto's small, lean frame. The taijutsu was meant for close combat, and resembled a mix of Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu. Both styles had throws, holds, and some strikes, but they mainly used the momentum of the attacker to cause the most serious damage. All in all, Naruto's kenjutsu and taijutsu would be a nightmare to go against when everything was mastered. Even more so if they were used simultaneously.

Naruto put his dishes in the sink, then got ready for the day. Once he showered, got into his clothes, and brushed his teeth, he grasped Frostmourne and placed it where it belonged. It was another day at the academy, but he honestly felt the best he has in months. With a smile, Naruto headed out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Hokage Office<strong>

Yugao stood in front of Hiruzen as she gave her report on Naruto. The Hokage was impressed with how much he was improving, and was happy that the Nara's gave him a semblance of what a family was like. It was this topic that Yugao expanded on.

"Hokage-sama, it appears that ever since he made friends with the Shikaku's family, the influence Frostmourne has had on Naruto has diminished. Perhaps we should go about the problem this way instead of monitoring him."

The Hokage sighed and shook his head, "I cannot allow that, as the scroll I finished deciphering told me more about that sword. There's a reason why it has an unholy aura to it, and because of that reason I will not let up on Naruto's monitoring."

Yugao raised an eyebrow as she wondered what Frostmourne actually did. Sensing this, the Hokage told her in a blunt manner.

"Souls, Yugao, Frostmourne steals the souls of whoever it kills."

"W-what! That's impossible!"

Hiruzen lit his pipe, and puffed on it a few times which made the smell of tobacco permeate the office. With a sad tone, he continued.

"But there's more. We were right about Frostmourne, it has changed Naruto. Simply put, it is a cursed blade; it will manipulate the mind, or so the deciphered scroll states."

Uzuki knew where the Hokage was going, and she gave him a stern look.

"There is only a handful of people he trusts in this village, Hokage-sama. The Nara family, Iruka, you, and me. That's it, nobody else gives the boy the time of day. If you are going to go down the path I think you are going to go, then I warn you now. If that Lich King is as bad as those…those stories make him out to be, then Kami help us all if you break that poor boy."

Hiruzen turned to look out the window towards the Hokage Monument, and puffed on his pipe with a sigh.

"It will not come to that Yugao, you are dismissed."

Right as she was about to shunshin out, she added one last thing in spite before leaving.

"I have grown to see Naruto as the son I never had. So, when this comes crashing down around you…I will laugh when the Lich King comes to take that decrepit old soul which lies in your black heart."

Hiruzen sighed, "_Sorry Yugao, but a power such as the one Naruto has acquired is too much for this world to handle. What I'm doing is for the best of the village, and the future of the Elemental Nations._"

* * *

><p><strong>Academy<strong>

Naruto smiled and waved to Shikamaru who waved back, lazily I might add. As he was about to go up to sit by him, someone stood in his way. Naruto sighed, he knew who this person was. A person who always wanted to prove his Alpha status of the class, and for some odd reason, Naruto was always the one challenged.

"Fight me, freak!"

"Get lost, Kiba. And no, we are not going to fight." Naruto replied back, and tried to get around the feral boy.

The Inuzuka shoved Naruto into the nearby desk, then got in his face. "I challenge you for alpha!"

Naruto growled, the hunger was coming back. Shikamaru saw Frostmourne glowing which made his eyes widen. It was one of the secrets Naruto trusted his family with. Yes, Naruto told them about Frostmourne, how he found it, and these strange dreams he has been having. He also knew that if Frostmourne glowed, this hunger was starting to take over. When asked what this hunger was, Naruto simply shrugged as he had no idea.

"For the last time…get off Kiba!"

"No! Now fight me!"

Naruto's head started to throb…the hunger; it hurt. He needed to let Frostmourne feed, he needed to kill, the thought of blood made his mouth salivate. Just as he started to reach for his blade, a hand stopped him. Naruto snarled and looked at the person who dared touch him. Once he saw Shikamaru, he took a couple deep breaths which made the throbbing in his head diminish. The whispy blue aura that flickered from his eyes still remained though.

"Kiba, quit being troublesome; you almost got killed."

The Inuzuka snorted, "Tch, kill me? He has no parents to teach him!"

That shut the entire room up. One, because an aura of death suddenly blanketed the room. And two, was because Iruka just walked into the room. In an instant, the entire room turned into chaos.

First, Shikamaru tackled Naruto to the ground, where Choji, and surprisingly Sasuke, helped keep him there. The next was Iruka marching up to Kiba with a pissed expression, grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck, and drug him to the principal's office. Tsume Inuzuka would be notified, and Kiba's punishment would be decided from there. As for Naruto, he snarled at the people that was keeping him on the floor.

"I will kill that mutt! Let me go! Frostmourne hungers!"

Shikamaru decided to try his best to calm Naruto down, and he knew there was only one thing that would. During the times Naruto came to his house over the many months, Yoshino would sing a small lullaby to calm the boy down after having to deal with the villagers. There was no words to it, just a hummed tune that was peaceful to listen too.

"Troublesome." The Nara muttered, then started the lullaby.

Naruto's rage induced mind didn't hear anything at first, but then he heard a familiar tune. Soon, the aura in the room decreased as did Naruto's anger. By time the tune was done, three minutes later, the aura vanished as well as the Uzumaki's anger. With a nod from Shikamaru, Choji and Sasuke got off, and went back to their seats.

"Thank you…Shika." Naruto said in-between deep breaths.

"Was that your first episode since that day?"

Naruto thought a bit, then nodded. "Hai, but this time, it was worse."

Shikamaru hummed in thought, then helped his friend up. As they went to their seats, he gave Naruto some advice.

"Meditation, maybe that will help?"

Naruto shrugged, then sat down. The whole class stared at him with fear in their eyes which made Naruto internally chuckle. Soon enough, Iruka came back in and asked Naruto if he was alright. With a response saying that he was, the chuunin notified the class that behavior like Kiba's would not be tolerated. He further added that they would be suspended for a week if they were caught doing so. Hearing this made Naruto happy, and he quickly followed Shika's advice and fell into a deep sleep where the dreams, more like memories, started again.

* * *

><p><strong>1.<strong> Think of how a Paladin or Warrior fights in World of Warcraft or any of the Warcraft games.


	3. Arc One: Ch 3

**AN:** Well, dang, I didn't think this story would get this good of a response. Thanks to that, this story is now staying, and will be developed further. Akuma no Senshi is halfway done as I recently finished Arc 2, so, I will try to work on this, and Akuma at the same time. Check my bio for a more detailed AN. Thanks readers!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or WoW; all rights go to their respective owners, and I am not doing this for monetary gain.

_ITALICS_ – thinking

**BOLD** – Frostmourne/demon speak, spell, or jutsu

* * *

><p><strong>Arc One: One Artifact, Many Changes<strong>

**Chapter Three**

* * *

><p>It was now lunchtime at the academy. Although many of the students went to the cafeteria to eat, Naruto decided to spend his time outside under a tree. He wasn't having much of a lunch, only an apple and a bottle of water, because he was currently focusing on the armor he saw in his dreams. On the notebook he always brought to class, he started to painstakingly draw each piece of armor as detailed as he could. Yes, this armor was modeled after what the Lich King wore.<p>

"If I can get this done, maybe someone could make it for me." Naruto mumbled to himself, which Shikamaru overhead.

"Make what, Naruto?"

Said person looked up to see his friend which made him smile. "Oh, when did you get here Shika?"

"Just now, so, what's on your mind?"

Naruto pointed to the notebook which Shikamaru looked at with wide eyes. The drawing was good, really good. So good, in fact, the Nara had to sit down.

"Troublesome, but is this that armor you kept seeing in your dreams?"

"Yep!" Naruto happily stated. "I want it when I graduate, but who can make it for me?"

Shika thought about it, then shook his head with a smile. "Of course, the troublesome weapons woman."

Naruto gave his friend a very awkward stare.

"My father knows a blacksmith who can do that for you. Come by after your training and he will take you there."

The bell rung which signaled that class was about to start again. Both students sighed, and lazily got up. They didn't know why they went to class when they already knew this stuff. Seriously, does anyone use the library anymore? Was Naruto and Shikamaru's thoughts. But, they had to go as too many absences will get you dropped from the program. On a high note, taijutsu sparring was supposed to start up soon. Naruto was looking forward to showing his skills, but he remembered that deception was a shinobi's greatest asset.

"_Deception?" _Naruto thought, then scoffed. "_A warrior needs no deception."_

Although this thought was on his mind, he decided to stay at the middle of the class. Why? For an unknown reason, Naruto felt that something would happen in the future; something concerning him. And looking weaker than he actually was would prove to be very beneficial, or so he hoped.

It wasn't long until Shikamaru and Naruto found their seats again, but while the Nara slept, Naruto decided to finish his drawing so the blacksmith could use it as a reference. Iruka didn't mind as he knew how much both of them liked the library. Once all the students were back, the lesson started up again. Naruto sighed as he heard the topic, it was how to unlock your chakra and use it properly. He really hoped his training was more entertaining than listening to this all day.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that Day<strong>

Sure enough, training was way better than the academy. Although most of it was the same old kenjutsu and taijutsu spars, Yugao actually told Naruto to bring out this other power of his when he had those episodes. At first, he was reluctant to do so as he feared he would hurt his sensei, but eventually he did as told. After Yugao kept on nagging Naruto, I might add.

It was difficult, very difficult, to find this energy. Naruto could feel something in his gut, but it felt cold, almost like death itself. Then, there was another feeling he got. It was full of malice, and he swore it had a red color to it. Little did Naruto know, was that he found Kyuubi's chakra, but luckily the bijuu was still dormant. After a couple more tries of pulling this hidden energy out, a voice spoke to him.

It wasn't Frostmourne, no, this was the Lich King.

"_Not yet, my successor. The time is not right to wield the source of my power, but fear not, you will know when that time comes. All will soon fear the one true king!"_

Naruto kept this part to himself, nobody knew that the Lich King could talk to him. Why? That dark feeling that was felt when Frostmourne was picked up had grown stronger; it had started to manipulate Naruto's mind. It did not matter whether he had friends and a family to keep this hunger away, the dark mass would keep on growing until the time came for it to be released.

* * *

><p>After training, Naruto quickly went back home to shower then walked over to the Nara compound. The two new guards were much nicer, and let Naruto in without question. After a game of shogi with Shikamaru, and a cup of tea with the family, Naruto and Shikaku went over to Higurashi's Smithy to see what could be done about the armor Naruto had drawn up. As they were walking, the Nara clan head decided to start some small talk.<p>

"So, this design came to you in your dreams?" Naruto nodded which made Shikaku hum in thought. "May I see your notebook?"

Naruto shrugged and handed it to the clan head, "Sure, take a look."

As Shikaku scanned over the multiple pages which detailed each piece of the armor, belt, helmet, chest piece, etc. he couldn't help but be impressed with how detailed they were. Though, the skull motif creeped Shikaku out.

"This might be a troublesome question, but what's with the skulls?"

Naruto grabbed the notebook that was handed back to him, and scratched his head in thought. "I don't know, but I think it looks awesome. Just think of the people I can scare with this armor!"

Now that, Shikaku chuckled at. He could see an enemy shinobi suddenly turning tail as they saw Naruto in his armor with the blue aura coming out of his eyes. Now that he thought of that image, it made him shiver, and wonder what exactly Naruto was becoming.

"_You are a troublesome child, Naruto, but what you are becoming is frightening. We will support you as long as we can, but I fear that a day will come where you no longer see any of us as friends…only foes."_

Silence remained for the rest of the trip which didn't take long. They entered the shop which made a bell, which was attached to the door, jingle. Naruto was in awe of the shop. There was swords everywhere, not to mention it was kind of hot in here. That was another thing Naruto found out about himself; he preferred the cold. A strange quirk, but he wasn't too concerned about it.

"Shikaku-san, welcome back! And who is he?" The girl at the counter said, and pointed to Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki is his name, and he has something that he wants made for when he graduates from the academy."

She smiled and waved at the boy, "Hi Naruto, nice to meet you. My name's Tenten!"

Naruto smiled back, "Nice to meet you too. Um, I have a design for armor, can you help?"

She nodded, "Sure, let me get my dad."

A couple minutes later, a muscular man who wore standard blacksmith gear came from the back of the store. As he set eyes on Naruto, he frowned and was thinking of telling the kid to go home, but he was not going to deny a potential customer. That, and the Nara clan head was present.

"My name is Dan Higurashi, what can I do for you, young lad?"

"Higuarashi-san." Naruto started. "Can you make this armor so I can have it when I graduate?"

He handed the notebook over to the blacksmith who looked at the detailed drawings with awe. The amount of materials it would take to do this would be insane, not to mention the whole set would weigh a lot. Dan knew what he had to do, but the materials was going to be expensive, very expensive. Why? They were materials not seen for many, many years.

"Well, Naruto was it?" Said person nodded which made Dan continue. "I can make what you ask, but I'm afraid it will be very expensive as I have to import the necessary materials."

"Why's that?" Shikaku asked.

"The kid's armor would weigh close to half a ton if I used the metal we use for kunai…and yes, that is the lightest material we have. But, luckily for you, I have outside sources. What I will be using will make the armor more manageable, and lightweight, but I suggest the kid start training with weights to improve his muscle mass."

"So, how much are we looking cost wise?" the Nara clan head asked.

Dan shrugged, "It's too early to tell, as the price of the material fluctuates daily."

He ripped the designs out of the notebook, with Naruto's permission of course, then walked over to one of the walls to grab some training weights. As he did, however, he caught site of Naruto's blade; the sight of which made him pale.

"_Oh no, it can't be…they said that cursed thing was to be lost forever! My contacts won't like this, they won't like this at all."_

Dan cleared his throat and handed Naruto the weights, as well as his notebook. He then turned his attention to Shikaku.

"I assume you are paying for the boy?" The clan head nodded. "Good, the weights will be 300 ryo, and I will need another 10,000 ryo for a down payment on the kid's armor."

The money was handed over without question, and once they left the shop, Dan quickly went upstairs to his room. There, he went to his study desk, and opened one of the top drawers. In this drawer was a simple looking scroll, but it was much more than that. Tenten watched her father with a confused face.

"Daddy, are you alright?"

Dan sighed, "I should be fine, darling. Now, I will be gone for a little while, can you close up shop please."

Tenten nodded with a smile, "Bye daddy!"

Dan touched the scroll and added a strange power to it which made it glow. Within seconds, he disappeared from view, and the drawer closed itself so nobody could get in. Tenten skipped downstairs after seeing this, and did as told. She knew where her father went, but it was a big family secret, one so great that if it got out, many lives would be put at risk.

* * *

><p><strong>One Week Later – Academy<strong>

They were finally starting actual lessons, something Naruto enjoyed, but as for Shikamaru. Well, he thought everything was troublesome; even the girls he had to spar with. As Naruto sat under a tree that overlooked the academy's training ground, he thought back to earlier in the week.

About two days after Naruto commissioned the armor to be made, Naruto was approached by Tenten, and asked if she could see his sword. Naruto sighed and unsheathed Frostmourne, but warned her not to touch it. After she ogled over the weapon for a good two minutes, Naruto sheathed it and asked what else she came for. Tenten told him that she would like to be kenjutsu sparring partners. Naruto had a huge grin on his face when he accepted.

"_And now we spar almost daily…I'm glad I convinced Yugao to allow her to train with us."_

A grey haired man with the standard Konoha uniform came up to Naruto with a not so hidden sneer on his face. This man was Mizuki, an assistant teacher for Iruka. He appeared three days ago, and ever since then, Naruto has hated the man. Not only does he try to sabotage his grades, but other kids as well. Shikamaru saw this as well, and both he and Naruto decided to continue to watch Mizuki to see what his motives were. So far, nothing resulted.

"You're up brat, and your opponent is Sasuke Uchiha."

After hearing no response, Mizuki went to grab Naruto by the scruff of the neck, but the boy violently brushed his hand away.

"Don't touch me." Naruto said bitterly, then got up and walked to the taijutsu circle.

As Mizuki followed Naruto to the circle, his thoughts were not the nicest.

"_Just wait until a few years pass, my master wants me to test your capabilities in these new powers of yours. I might just kill you, and appease those who see you as nothing but a demon."_

In the taijutsu circle, Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other; both had eyes filled with determination.

"I wish you luck, Naruto."

"And you as well, Sasuke. Iruka, can we begin?"

The chuunin nodded, and started the match. "Hajime!"

For about five seconds, nothing happened, nobody moved a muscle. But then, Sasuke suddenly made a move using his clan's taijutsu. As he attempted to punch Naruto's face, the boy dodged, and grabbed the offending appendage. He then proceeded to throw the Uchiha to the ground behind him. Naruto never moved, he still stood in one spot. Sasuke, however, was lying on the ground and struggled to get up; the harsh landing took all the air from his breath.

Again, Sasuke charged, but this time he tried a low kick. As Naruto jumped up to dodge, Sasuke quickly redirected his foot and connected with Naruto's chin; it made him stumble back which the Uchiha capitalized on. A few punches connected with Naruto's stomach which made the boy gasp for breath, but when Sasuke went for a fourth punch, Naruto grabbed the arm, then dropped to the ground and put his opponent in a painful arm lock. As Naruto kept on pulling and twisting the arm, he warned Sasuke what would happen if he didn't forfeit.

"Please give, I don't want to break your arm."

Sasuke growled, the Uchiha arrogance getting to him. "Never! Now let me go!"

Naruto looked at Iruka, who gave a nod back in return. A sickening snap was heard followed by the Uchiha's scream of pain. The whole class was shocked, minus the instructors of course. It was here, that Iruka ended the match.

"Naruto Uzumaki wins. Mizuki, would you please take Sasuke to the hospital." After the assistant instructor left, he continue. "Let this be a lesson to all of you. In the real shinobi world, Naruto could have done worse than broke Sasuke's arm. See that sword on his waist?"

The class nodded, which made a grim smile come to Iruka's face. They would find out eventually, but the chuunin decided to get it over with.

"After breaking Sasuke's arm, he could have easily killed him with a strike of that blade. And before you protest, that is the Shinobi lifestyle; that is why you all joined the academy. If you see a problem with this, then I suggest you quit while you are ahead."

Needless to say, by the end of the day the academy would lose a significant amount of civilian members. The Sandaime had recently implemented a scaled down version of a war time academy, so from now on, the classes would only get harder, and the class size would only get smaller. By graduation, only the best would remain; there would be no need for a second exam by jounin instructors.

* * *

><p><strong>Time Skip – Six Months<strong>

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Naruto, happy birthday to you!" The Nara's sung, and with them was Tenten, Yugao, and Hiruzen.

It was Naruto's seventh birthday, and the first one he has had with a family. It has been a full year since Naruto has found Frostmourne, but thanks to his relationships with the Nara's and others, the darkness in him seemed to vanish completely. One such person, however, started to make their way into Naruto's heart.

That person was Tenten.

Although her father tried to keep his daughter away from Naruto, for reasons he did not explain, Tenten disobeyed. And as a result, their friendship has bloomed as has their strength. Although, the updated academy did help.

Jounin specialists were called into class to help the students with their problems. Genjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and yes even Iryo (Medical) Ninjutsu as well as fuinjutsu. The academy was now more application than theory, and as a result, more dropped out as they couldn't take the stress.

Hiruzen, thanks to Frostmourne and the Lich King's legend, called Tsunade and Jiraiya back, much to their dismay. But, once they heard about what Naruto had picked up, and what he could possibly turn into, they knew why their sensei updated the academy.

For if the Lich King was awoken, then the entire world would be in peril.

Back at the Nara household, Naruto smiled as he blew out the candles on the cake that was made for this special occasion. He made his wish, but little did he know, that this wish would also start his dark descent towards the crown he was destined to wear.

"_I wish Tenten could be with me the rest of my life."_

"Present time!" Shikaku shouted, but was interrupted when a knock on the door was heard.

With a sigh, the clan head went to the door and opened it. Standing there was Jiraiya and Tsunade. With a smile, Shikaku let them enter. He knew why they were here today, but the thought of what Naruto would be told made him shiver in fear.

"_I hope Naruto takes the news well, and I hope the troublesome darkness we saw a year ago does not come back to haunt us."_

Hiruzen looked at his two students with a smile. "Ah, you have arrived, just on time I see."

The two Sannin nodded with smiles on their faces, but it was Jiraiya who spoke.

"I missed out on six of his birthdays, and now that my spy network is based here in Konoha, I can finally spend time with my…"

Tsuande cleared her throat which save the Toad Sage from making a mistake. "Remember, that comes after presents."

Jiraiya chuckled nervously, and scratched the back of his head. "Oops…heh, thanks Tsunade-hime."

"Who are the two old bats, Ji-Ji?" Naruto suddenly said which made everyone snicker.

Well, almost everyone, as Tsunade had a tick mark on her head. She was ready to pummel the brat to death.

Hiruzen calmed his laughter, and ruffled Naruto's white hair. "Those are my students, Jiraiya and Tsuande. Two of the three Sannin."

Naruto's eyes widened and he quickly bowed while he apologized. He knew who the Sannin were thanks to reading about them in the library. His apology was accepted, and soon the first present was handed to him.

"Here, Naruto. I think you will enjoy this." Shikamaru said as he handed a medium sized present to his friend.

Naruto quickly snatched the box from Shika's hand, and tore into the wrapping paper. Once it was all off, he smiled at what it was; his very own shogi board.

"Thanks Shikamaru!"

Shikaku didn't have a wrapped present, but he did have something else. As he reached into his jacket, he pulled out a patch with the Nara clan symbol on it.

"This might be troublesome, but we see you as one of our own. And as clan head, I feel it is within my power to make you an honorary member. Welcome to the Nara clan, Naruto."

Said person quickly engulfed his father figure in a hug. Ever since meeting the Nara's, Naruto has grown close to them and even started calling Shikaku tou-san, and Yoshino ka-san. Speaking of Yoshino, she pulled a small box from her pants pocket and handed it to Naruto. The white haired boy took it with shaky hands, and opened it up. He gasped at what was inside.

It was a pure silver, heart shaped locket. As he inspected it, Naruto hit a small button on the side which made it open up. Inside, was a picture of all of them, Shikaku, Shikamaru, Yoshino, and him; all were smiling, everyone was happy. It brought tears to Naruto's eyes.

"Thank you…ka-san."

Yoshino hugged his surrogate son, "Your welcome, sochi."

After Naruto dried his tears, he turned to his Ji-Ji expecting a present. Seeing this made Hiruzen smile, but internally he hoped that this wouldn't push back the progress that had been made.

"Naruto, all of us, may we go into the family room? I will give Naruto's present in there."

Everyone nodded, though, some were confused at what present this would be. Once everyone was seated, the Sandaime sighed, and began to talk in a solemn tone.

"Naruto, you have shown great progress over the past year, and I will make due on that promise I made in my office." Naruto's eyes widened which made Hiruzen nod. "Hai, your present is learning about your heritage, and why the villagers hate you. But, before I begin, I warn you all that this is still an S-rank secret punishable by death."

The room was silent for a while before the Hokage continued, and told Naruto about the Kyuubi attack, his parents, and how the beast was sealed within him. If that wasn't bad enough, Naruto was also told that Jiraiya was his godfather. The whole explanation took about 15 minutes, but by the end of it, everyone was holding their breath to see what would happen.

At first Naruto was sad, and laughed an empty laugh. But then, his eyes started to mist that blue aura, and Frostmourne started to glow. Seeing this, Yoshino quickly started to hum that lullaby which helped calm Naruto down.

"Thank you, Yoshino. Ji-Ji, I see why you kept it a secret, but…the pain in my heart knowing you kept this away from me every time I asked hurts. Jiraiya, I don't even see him as my godfather. He was never there, I never had a good life. That is, until Shika and the Nara's found me."

Hiruzen gulped, "What are you trying to say, Naruto?"

Said person sighed, "I'm sorry Ji-Ji, but I don't know if I can trust you, or your students anymore. I might forgive you later on, but the pain is just too much." Naruto paused to look at Shikaku. "May I be excused, I need to take a walk."

The clan head nodded, which prompted Naruto to get up and walk out of the home. Once they heard the door click close, everyone sighed in relief. For Hiruzen and Jiraiya though, they were heartbroken. Both had a feeling this would happen, and they hoped they made the right moves so that forgiveness could be given.

* * *

><p><strong>With Naruto<strong>

"_Heh, the villagers praise the Yondaime, then hate me…his own son. How ironic."_

The Lich King's voice suddenly appeared. "_I told you that secrets had been kept from you. And now what shall you do, will you grasp ahold of your destiny, or continue the bonds with your friends?"_

"_I thank you for giving me your power, but for now, I wish to be with my friends._"

The Lich King nodded, but added a grim statement before leaving Naruto alone.

"_Do not grow too attached, as they will only hurt you in the end."_

A sudden scream from the Hyuga clan compound suddenly drew Naruto's attention. As he ran towards the compound, he saw two black figures leave the area in a blur. With an evil smirk, Naruto grasped Frostmourne at the same time he pulled the hood over his head. His eyes started to mist that blue aura, his voice becoming like that of the Lich King. This was no episode, it was all him. The anger Naruto had felt back in the Nara home helped let that building darkness unleash, further poisoning his mind.

"Frostmourne hungers, and tonight it will feed!"

With that, Naruto dashed off towards the people that ran into the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>10 Minutes Later<strong>

The two Kumo ninja, one of which carried a burlap sack filled with something, decided to take a break in the forest before they headed to the drop off point. The mission was off the books, and so far it seemed like it would be a success. Thanks to the Hyuga Elders, the guards in the compound were paid to stay off duty for a set amount of time tonight. Thus, the Kumo ninja easily got in. The reason the elders did this?

They saw Hinata as weak, and not worthy of the Hyuga name. All of this done behind Hiashi's back of course.

"Heh, this was way too easy…cannot wait to get that fat paycheck when we drop her off."

The other Kumo nin let off an evil smirk then patted the burlap sack next to him. "Too bad I can't have a little fun with her first."

Before they could say anything else, the area around them started to get cold, so cold that it started to snow. An unholy aura soon blanketed the section of forest they were at which made them shiver in fear. Even more so when a slightly demonic voice spoke from the shadows.

"I smell your fear, but tell me, do you know what true fear feels like?" A poignant pause, then the voice continued. "No? Well then, let me show you."

With that, Naruto came out of his hiding place which made the two Kumo nin laugh.

"A kid…hah, hah, we were scared by a kid!"

"**You are no mere child, you are the one true king.**" Frostmourne spoke "**Take your first steps at ascending the throne…satiate the hunger within!"**

The Kumo nin stopped laughing when Naruto's blade and his eyes glowed a fiercer blue; a chilling wind picked up which made Naruto's hood fall behind him. The look the kid gave the nin, made them gasp. The eyes they looked into was almost like seeing death incarnate.

"W-what are you?"

Naruto slowly started to walk up to them, and only said one thing before the fighting started. "Dead man tell no tales. All will fear the one true king!"

The Kumo nin shakily took their swords out, while Naruto stopped and assumed his stance. Yes, he had the Lich King's power, but he barely knew how to use it. He hoped to come out of this uninjured.

Both nin managed to steel their wit, and attacked at the same time. Using what he learned, Naruto expertly dodged or blocked the strikes that was coming his way. But, the two Kumo nin were not borderline jounin for nothing. As Naruto went to try and strike one across the neck, the other managed to create a deep gash on Naruto's side which scarred the rib cage. Naruto grunted, and stumbled back which was taken advantage of.

Naruto never had felt this much pain in his life, and soon the pain got the point where he had enough. Little did he know, was that this would be the first time his runic powers would be activated.

"ENOUGH!" Naruto bellowed out, and with it came a blast of frozen air.

The Kumo nin that were hit by this suddenly stopped in their tracks which made Naruto smirk evilly. Suddenly, a memory came to him followed by the Lich King's voice.

"_A taste, at what is to come."_

Naruto raised Frostmourne in the air, point facing downward, and as it glowed blue, he thrust it into the ground. A pulse of unholy energy travelled underground, and soon, two ghouls started to come up from the ground beside him. The Kumo nin were now afraid for their lives.

The ghouls looked at their master and made a strange guttural sound. Naruto simply pointed at the two Kumo nin as the blood loss started to get to him. The forest was suddenly filled with the screams of two nin being ripped, and flayed apart which drowned out the sound of a whimpering little girl in a burlap sack. Soon, the deed was done, and Naruto dismissed the ghouls back into the ground without a trace. He stumbled towards the mutilated corpses, not even having remorse for what he did. He hovered Frostmourne over the two which absorbed their souls; forever to be trapped inside the cursed blade.

Naruto smirked evilly, and let out an equally dark chuckle as he sheathed his blade. It was then he heard the voice to two people. One was the Sandaime Hokage, but the other Naruto did not recognize. As both figures came into the clearing they were shocked to find Naruto in front of two mutilated corpses. The only recognizable feature was their Kumo headbands. As Naruto turned his head, only one blue-green eye filled with that blue aura stared at them.

Four words were spoken before he fell backwards and passed out.

"I have been awakened."

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto's Mindscape<strong>

Naruto gasped and found himself in that same snowy landscape. A shadow soon overcame him, but he knew who that was.

"Lich King, what do you want? Come to punish me for my weakness?"

Arthas grinned, "Nay, you will not be punished, but while you are recovering you have much to learn about your powers. Come, my protégé, it is time to harness your runic power, it is time to learn how to create your own army…the Scourge!"

As much as Naruto didn't want to, the darkness that had built up was now leaking out in massive quantities. He began to like this feeling, this power within him. So, with the same grin as Arthas, Naruto stood and followed his mentor for training.

As they walked together, Naruto started talking about his world and if there was any Horde or Alliance left. Although Arthas has been sealed in that sword, he could still sense what was going on as time passed on.

"Since my defeat about a millennia ago, Frostmourne was shattered into many pieces and spread about the land. My soul, resting in each fragment. I know not of the date, but Frostmourne was eventually reforged, and another Lich King tried to rise."

"What happened to them?" Naruto questioned.

"Like you, he slowly rose to power, but my legend was somehow remembered; he was defeated before they could ascend the throne. Since then, my armor and Frostmourne was scattered about the land so that they could be forgotten. But, a great cataclysm happened, and thanks to you, the great king can rise again."

Naruto smiled, then thought of the story he was just told. It made him frown, and anger started to course through his veins. Something which Frostmourne and the Lich King enjoyed very much.

"Could my friends be doing this to stop my destiny, could they know about the Era of Old?"

Arthas softly laughed, but it was still disturbing sounding. "Ah, so that's what you call my time. Perhaps someone knows, many documents have been scattered over the millennia. But, fear not, as they simply do not have the means to stop your ascent…the technology is not like that of when I was alive."

It was here that Naruto brought up the strange look Dan Higurashi gave him. The Lich King narrowed his eyes and stared off into the barren tundra for a bit, before his head snapped back to Naruto.

"Perhaps, the Era of Old is not as dead as I, or you, once thought."

Naruto's eyes looked to Icecrown Citadel which was in the distance, then back at his mentor. Both of them stopped, but it was Naruto who went down on one knee and bent his head low.

"Teach me…my master. I am yours to control."


	4. Quick Update

**Quick Update**

First off, please do not review this chapter; PM me if you have questions. Just a quick update for this story, more like one chapter in particular. After some small talk with firetemplar, and rereading chapter three, I have come to the conclusion that I made Naruto submit way too quickly. So, in light of this, I will be changing that chapter to better suit events that I have planned for later on. Some things will stay the same, but the chapter will end much differently. Sorry about the confusion this may cause, but I believe it would make the story better as a result. Once again, I apologize.

Random


	5. Please Read

**Rewrite Notice**

Sorry, not a chapter, but as you can note by the title, a rewrite notice. You may be asking yourself why, and there is a simple reason. I got a friendly, and very informative, PM from Coolkid93. We have chatted back and forth, and since he/she knows their Warcraft and WoW lore better than me, I have decided to team up with them. So yes, Coolkid93 will be a co-author of the rewritten version.

The way I had this originally planned out, I found I would hit a wall to where I couldn't go anywhere. Thanks to Coolkid's PM, I have found a way to make this story far more interesting, and yes it will be a crossover. I have been getting a lot of favorite and follows on this, so I know the idea is a good one. So to those who have taken the time to read the three chapters I have posted, I hope to see you back when I get the rewrite up.

Many apologies and best regards,

Random

P.S. This story will stay up until the rewrite chapters are up, and I will update this to notify you readers. Thanks!


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